Falmer

Sue Barnes and Rosemary Warton

MUSIC: Unfortunately, I had to miss last Saturday’s concert, which was excellent by all accounts. Not surprising, as it featured Sue Mileham (the prime mover behind our concert series and a brilliant soprano), Jane Money and Nicola Grunberg. Coming soon on November 7 there will be a very special concert raising funds to bring young musicians from Ghaza to Brighton to perform during the Brighton Festival. More details about this exciting event next week.

CAFFEINE: I am something of a coffee addict and really crave my first cup in the morning, I was extremely surprised to hear that honey bees are also caffeine addicts. According to research being carried out by Dr Margaret Courillon at the University of Sussex laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, some plants take advantage of this liking for caffeine and lace their nectar with it. The bees are drawn to these plants even if they do not deliver as much food as others. It obviously gives them a buzz, (sorry). The bees will also direct other bees from the hive to these plants. I wonder if the honey these bees make has caffeine in it?

ART FAIR: I am busy coordinating plans for our Christmas Art and Craft Fair, which will feature some gorgeous gift ideas from our wonderful artists and makers. Glassware, jewellery, prints and paintings, will be on sale plus textiles, lovely home-made goodies, decorations and cards. The fair takes place on November 21 and 22 this year. Put it in your diary. Don’t worry, we will remind you.

SQUIRRELS: I was thinking that we would have some lovely holly berries in the garden this year. There seemed to be great trusses of them on the bushes. Unfortunately the squirrels have decided that they want to have them. There is a constant parade of squirrels going past the window with great bunches of the things that they have bitten off. They then take one or two berries off the branch, bury them and just leave the rest lying on the ground. I wouldn’t mind so much if they actually ate them but they just discard them.

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